Petunia plant named ‘RF13872’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘RF13872’, characterized by its compact, mounding and outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large dark purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘RF13872’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Petunia Plant Named ‘RF13871’

Applicant: Tobias Dümmen

Filed: Concurrently Ser. No. 12/807,245

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘RF13872’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact Petunia cultivars withnumerous unique and attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor on Jan. 1, 2010 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietaryselection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T04-0067-007, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofPetunia×hybrida identified as code number F-02-22, not patented, as themale, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environmentin Rheinberg, Germany on Jun. 1, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June,2010, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘RF13872’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘RF13872’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, mounding and outwardly spreading to trailing plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large dark purple-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in flower color.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in plant size as plants of the new Petunia aremore compact than plants of the male parent selection. In addition,plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of the maleparent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of thePetunia×hybrida ‘RF13871’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 12/807,245. Plants of the new Petunia are smaller than plantsof ‘RF13871’. In addition, plants of the new Petunia have larger flowersthan plants of ‘RF13871’.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of thePetunia×hybrida ‘Duepotdared’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,704.In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany plants ofthe new Petunia differed primarily from plants of ‘Duepotdared’ inflower color as plants of ‘Duepotdared’ had dark red-colored flowers. Inaddition, plants of the new Petunia were larger and had larger flowersthan plants of ‘Duepotdared’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Petunia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘RF13872’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the summer in 10.5-cm containersin a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under typicalPetunia production practices. During the production of the plants, dayand night temperatures averaging 18° C. and light levels averaging 4,500lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeks after planting and were 16weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘RF13872’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T04-0067-007, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number F-02-22, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, mounding and outwardly            spreading to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit            with about eight to ten lateral branches developing after            pinching; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 25 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 20 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2.1 cm.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Close to 144A to 144B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, simple; after            flowering, opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 5.2 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Spatulate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; leathery.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137A; venation, close to 144B. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,            close to 144B.        -   Petiole length.—About 6.6 mm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—Close to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Large salverform flowers;            single flowers arising from leaf axils; freely flowering            habit with usually about 25 to 30 open flowers and flower            buds per plant; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            spring into autumn in Germany; early flowering habit, plants            typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after            planting.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five to six            days on the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 7.7 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 4.9 cm.        -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Flower tube length.—About 3.7 cm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Ovoid. Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter:            About 6 mm. Color: Close to 187A.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal lobe length (from            throat): About 3.7 cm. Petal lobe width: About 3.3 cm. Petal            shape: Roughly spatulate to rounded. Petal apex: Rounded.            Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Rippled, glabrous. Throat texture: Rippled,            glabrous. Tube texture: Rippled, pubescent. Color: Petal            lobe, when opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to            187A; venation, close to 187A. Petal lobe, when opening and            fully opened, lower surface: Close to 187A; venation, close            to 144B. Flower throat: Close 187A, venation, close to 187A.            Flower tube: Close to 187A; venation, close to 187A.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx tube with five sepals            per flower; sepals fused at the base. Sepal length: About            2.3 cm. Sepal width: About 6 mm. Sepal shape: Oblong. Sepal            apex: Rounded. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, immature and mature,            upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, immature and mature,            lower surface: Close to 137C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close            to 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.            Filament length: About 2 cm. Filament color: Close to 145C.            Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 2.5 mm. Anther            color: Close to 133C to 133D. Pollen amount: Abundant.            Pollen color: Close to 122A. Pistils: Quantity: One per            flower. Pistil length: About 2.5 cm. Style length: About            2.2 cm. Style color: Close to 144C. Stigma shape: Rounded.            Stigma color: Close to 144A. Ovary color: Close to 144A and            187A. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘RF13872’ as illustrated anddescribed.